the aiken controversy now they have this and democratic folks have pounced a little bit. dnc chairwoman saying his rape comments are outrageous, and have become part and parcel of the modern republican platform. they're smelling a trend trying to take advantage politically. >> and the large insurmountable lead among women if you do his research. >> it dwindled. >> it has. he is not going to get rid of birth control and for abortion in cases of rape or incest or when it endangers the mother. he is taking more moderate approach to abortion. while there are some on extreme sides of the left and right. >> yeah, paul ryan before he got on the ticket didn't support any exemptions now. but obviously become more moderate or says he is to get, you know. >> not his ticket. >> presidents come and go. the supreme court nominees stay for life. that's the real legacy of any presidency. and paul ryan a heartbeat away,

same way joe biden. something to keep in mind. women, as important this election, women health'ser use critical to watch and see how the parties respond to this today. moving on, sad news, two new jersey brothers are charged with murder in the death of their 12-year-old neighbor. police say the teenage boys lured autumn pasquale into their home and one of them strangled her. the middle schooler's body was discovered in a recycling bin next door where the suspects lived with their mom. her treasured bmx bicycle and other belongings were found in the home. investigators believe they lured her just to get parts of her bmx bike. less than a week after google's earnings were released ahead of schedule. another big corporate announcement accidentally made public too soon. dow chemical was forced to show its hand on a big restructuring and 2,400 layoffs when it sent a draft of the press release to a

reporter two days early. apple unveiled its latest must-have, 7.9-inch. ipad mini. the minias thin as a pencil, as light as a pad of paper and hold it in one hand. it is 2 inches smaller than the regular ipad. slightly larger than the amazon and google tablets. the mini, it will run you $329. preorders begin friday. and hit the stores november the 2nd. always outdoing themselves. >> always something. isn't the smaller ipad the iphone. i don't understand? >> no, the mini. and there 70 million products from apple. i cannot keep any of them straight. >> it's hard. hard to keep track. ironic part, steve jobs didn't support an ipad mini. see itch he knew what he was talking or about sell a gazillion. >> itch yf you can't fit it in pocket. only 2 inches smaller.

thinner. 2 inches smaller. >> portability, was the issue, as a guy. you put it in your purse. >> you have a man purse. a man bag. >> attache case. the islamic haj pilgrimage begins tomorrow. saudi arabia expert 3 million muslims will arrive in the city of mecca. it is fostering closeness to god. tropical storm sandy is picking up storm this morning with wind hitting 65 miles an hour. sandy is expected to grow into a hurricane by the time it hits jamaica and cuba later this morning and this afternoon. on track to pass over bahamas, thursday and possibly bring rough surf to the east coast. don't panic just yet. it is still days away. don't want to freak people out. sandy. >> we're good at that. >> media is good. not a cat five coming for new

york. take a breath. it may not affect us. >> i'm breathing. here is your wednesday weather. feels like it should be thursday doesn't it? >> should be saturday. light morning showers in the northeast. severe storms around minneapolis dashgs mo , des moines. snow in the cascades. showers from seattle done to portland. >> mostly 40s in the northern rockies. 70s in the midwest. 80s. dallas, miami and new orleans. a story that its near and dear to tower hearts. every reporter has at least one embarrassing on-air disaster. so we have some sympathy, empathy in this situation. the reporter was doing a story on the takeover of u.s. waters by the asian carp. >> that's when the fish suddenly came back to life and scared the day lights out of the poor woman, fell backward and nearly knocked the fish game guy overboard. and whoa, we saw a lot of --

>> we have all had a moment. to me, the favorite thing in the world. go to youtube. type in news bloopers. you can sit there for hours and watch some of the fun neapest stuff. so that clearly will be added to the reel. but she handled it like a pro the we all have one. kea keep on trucking. such a good joke there. >> on the tip of my tongue too. >> introduce you to a group of gifted young athletes for whom disability is absolutely no barrier. >> first, i'll head into the phone booth and come out as wonder woman to snow yhow you sf the coolest halloween costumes around this season. if the's all coming of on "world news now." -- it's all coming up on "world news now." >> reporter: "world news now" weather brought to you by lifestyle lift. the arteries of your dishwasher are constantly clogging up

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>> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you -- welcome back, everyone. can you tell we are getting close to halloween. i don't know -- >> i have no idea. well, here to talk about this year's hot costumes is our toy insider mom who we love, laurie sc hcht schect. the witch, villain from "sleeping beauty. and cat woman from "dark knight." and wonder woman. a lot of fun. lots of dressing up we can do. a treat. we have a whole array of -- >> so excited to see the kids. >> let's start with the

princesses where are they. our classic princesses, cinderella and belle and we also have the newest, heroine, she is brave. a will of her own. so they're beautiful. going to give a spin. thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you, princesses. >> i think our super heroeses are coming in next. this summer we saw avengers from, from back in the 60s, the comic strip. captain america. black widow. from spiderman. spiedy. >> spiedy! >> thank you so much. >> good job. don't get caught in a web. >> speaking of tv shows. inspire costumes. a lot going on. we have the leader of the monsoonos, shake it up, rocky and c.c., best friend. landed a spot on shake it up chicago as dancers.

we have our wingery over there from magics. and from "glee" our cheerleader with us. thanks, everyone. >> they just look amazing. >> they do. >> good job. >> now we have some pop culture. our video and some, look, katy perry. fav rift california girls. in the costume with her wig. skylanders from the popular video game. spiro, happy trigger and our angry birds. >> right. look right there. >> good job, angry birds and everybody. >> look at this, fairy tales. and just some favorites. hello kitty. yes we have little red riding hood. skipping over to grandma's house. our killer bee. and then, of course, dorothy. look even the red slippers. >> red slippers. >> little red riding hood, make sure you look out for the wolf.

okay. fantastic. >> thank you, girls. >> beautiful. >> aren't they. >> beautiful. >> turtles are back. >> i didn't know they were back. >> turtles. >> they are. >> rafael. of course it wouldn't be complete with president obama and governor romney. they're here to join us too. >> they're getting along really well. >> tell you what happened on the third debate, right? >> yes, yes. not sure about that. love it. good job. >> yeah. >> i think everyone is going to come back out and join us. i think everyone is coming. >> is everyone coming? >> yea! [ applause ] >> beautiful. ♪ ♪ the monster mash ♪ >> princesses in the front. big princesses in the back. super heroes. nice. >> thank you! >> you guys did a great job. >> thank you, thank you, happy halloween, right. >> happy halloween. >> wonderful.

she is our toy insider, laurie schect, thank you, laurie. we can get all the costumes on line? >> online. major pop-up stores these days in everyone's neighborhood. don't forget make great costumes at home. >> wonderful. >> i think our husband are going to be digging these costumes. >> i think so. i think so. >> we'll be right back. ♪ the monster mash ♪ maybe the mash

♪ ♪

some baseball news now. first off, world series starts tonight. the detroit tigers take on the san francisco giants. >> go tigers. our baseball story here nothing to do with the fall classic, everything to do with the game doing some good. here is kevin quinn of our station in houston. >> okay, guys, here we go! >> reporter: they call themselves team texas. as determined a bunch as any you'll find. >> good. >> reporter: they have down syndrome, autism and other disabilities. macy gonzalez is 11 and she is blind. that doesn't keep her or any of them from playing the game. >> it's not actually hard. >> reporter: macy refused to hit off a tee and rejected the use of a ball that beeps. >> it doesn't go far. and it is really heavy. >> reporter: a teammate helps her feel, giving her directional tips to find the ball.

the highland sports association started the team for kids with special need three years ago. >> we show them they can do it. we tell them they can do it. >> reporter: these kids have been side lined watching their siblings play. this team giving them a chance to get on the field too. >> i can't even explain it, the happiness that i feel. you know, the -- if you watch her when she runs the look on her face, she has got a big smile and she is just, just loving it. >> ready? set, go! >> reporter: the competitive spirit something no disability can qaush. that determ nation to do their very best shown with every swing of the bat, every footprint on the field for kids so often told they can't. this is about saying yes they can. >> oh, special shout out to reporter, kevin quinn on the story. really nice job. >> really did. just showing you that sports can do so much more than we give it

credit for. just competitive. >> gives those kids a chance, what they want most, the chance to feel normal and do what the kids do. love the game. a great feeling. >> the smile on their faces as mom said is priceless. >> great story. follow the wings.

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and i have often wondered how women walk in high-heeled shoes. what i am about to show you. takes the cake. never in life. not my scene. but this one, this, take a look at this video here. these pair of shoes were created between an artist and a dutch shoe designer. and, just, the verbable speaks for itself. some people are calling these the most uncomfortable and ugly shoes of all time. she can barely walk in those things. >> she is not walking. >> who would wear them? they don't look like shoes. they look like stilts or something. ridiculous. >> wooden clogs gone horribly

wrong. that is torture. >> looks like the most constipated woman ever. >> usually you like a woman in thel heels. >> nothing sexier. the hunch back look is never in. keep it real. that is ridiculous. >> some important news for any expecting mothers out there. there is a chemical -- acrylomide. try to pronounce it correctly. found in crisps, chips, french fries, burned toast. saying it is a nerve poison that causes cancer in animals and now possible carcinogen in humans and can cause long term effects with your baby, lower birth weight, smaller head circumference. the largest source of acrylomide is in french fries and potato chips. their advice is to lay of. >> in general or if they're burned? >> well, burned toast and french

fries and potato chips if they're singed. the chemical found predominantly in the toast. >> burned toast stinks. >> burned popcorn stinks. part two of our chemical, chemical edition. makeup can trigger early menopause, saying chemical called phalide. 2 1/2 years before other women, the chemical found in makeup can trigger early menopause, 15 years early, looked at blood or urine of 5,700 women. typical age of 51, menopause, and women exposed to makeup, at age 49. >> makeup can lady to menopause. i thought i was getting flashes, going through the change-up here. this guy in leesburg, virginia, put up the halloween display and set to the song of the year,

gangnam style. set to the song of the year, gangnam style. ♪ oh sexy lady hi, i'm jon secada. did you know that chnic hepatitis c affects approxately one million hispanic americans? each story is different, but for at least 20 years my father nevever said how sik he was getting. he stayed silent, never talked over the options with his doctor. if he had, maybe i'd be siting hiat home, instead of here. if you still think there's strength in silence, think again. talk to your doctor about your options and learn more at tune in to hep c dot com.

this morning on "world news now" -- a razor-thin race. a new poll shows president obama and mitt romney separated by less than 1%. >> it is yet more evidence of how every single vote will count in this election. it is wednesday, october 24th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everyone. i'm paula faris. >> and i'm rob nelson. the poll comes as both candidates prepare for an epic road trip trying to bring their message to as many voters as possible in these final days. >> if we had 60 states in our great land i think they would

try to reach all 60 in one day. >> they must log impressiveflie. >> he is going to get overnight sleep on "air force one." >> make or break time. >> more on the campaign in a moment. first a look at other stories we are following for you this half-hour. police say a 12-year-old girl was savagely murdered by two teenagers who they say wanted her bike. and we have new information this morning about who turned those boys in to police. also ahead, a chemically enhanced motherhood. more and more women are turning to prescription drugs to help them get through the very busy days. some each say, they simply could not function without them. story many of you moms out there will find interesting this morning. >> sleep deprivation on this shift and then couple in parent hood on top of that. >> you can relate. >> i'm crazy. crazier.

i should say. >> your drug of choice, caffeine. >> that you know of. >> this little girl is a prodigy, the 7-year-old some are comparing to mozart. >> i love the prodigy stories, don't you? >> you were a prodigy, weren't you? >> at wetting the bed. thank god that ended in middle school. first, the presidential candidates are campaigning at a dizzying pace. 13 days left to try to seal the deal with voters. the new poll shows the the race is titler than ever. >> listen to this number. mitt romney ahead of president obama by 1 percentage point. 49% to 48%. take a look at this, without rounding up or down, it is even closer than that, actually, separated by .07 of of a point. unbelievable. abc's david muir has more from the campaign trail. >> reporter: it is the mad dash to the finish line, the president and mitt romney with their final arguments. >> i am fired up right now. >> want you to start voting right now.

>> reporter: both candidates crisscrossing the country. a president a ray in florida, flying to iowa, colorado, nevada. sleeping on "air force one" as it flies back to florida thursday. virginia, chicago to cast his vote early. then ohio all over again. mitt romney taking off, flying west to nevada, colorado, back to nevada, iowa, thursday, ohio. president obama fueled by the final debate performance with a blistering attack on what he calls romney's shifting positions, the condition he jokingly calls romnesia. >> we joke about romnesia. this is something important, this is about trust. you know, there is no more serious issue in a presidential campaign than trust. >> reporter: mitt romney in a race to the finish too. looking to build on the continued momentum from the first debate. firing back at the president. >> he has been reduced trying to defend character on sesame street and -- and word games of

various kind, and, and then misfired attacks after one another. you know the truth is, attacks on me are not an agenda. >> reporter: both campaigns trying to reach the undecided voters left with targeted data. the obama campaign with a smart phone app hoping supporters will download it revealing which neighbors the campaign believes could be potential supporters. in fact, as we stand here in this denver neighborhood. on the obama application we downloaded see in this neighborhood alone there are 12 flags, 12 doors they hope supporters will knock on. we decided to test the first name on the list. you are lawrence? 75 years old. >> larry, yeah. >> you go by larry. >> the application has the got it right. >> reporter: larry said he has no problem his name on the list. he says it doesn't matter he voted early. both campaigns going high tech this election year. the romney campaign saying they knocked on 9 million doors, made three times the number of phone calls, the mccain camp made four years ago. got to add a state to the list

the president is traveling to this week, california, taping jay leno thursday. learn the townhall on mtv, the president tries to rev up young voters excited four years ago. david muir, abc news in the rockies, colorado. this is where things get so interesting. we have had the big speeches at the convention. we have been through all four debates. been through eight trillion polls. now about getting soldiers on the ground. and getting people out to vote. it is all a game of turnout, particularly in the eight, nine swing states and above all else, state of ohio. people say every vote counts. if you live in one of the states it is abslolutely true. >> i know you are a math wizard. dif ven shall. 48.51 romney compared to 48.44. the differential? >> .07. >> how many votes? >> 90,000 the difference now. setting up a scenario if the states fall as the today's poll suggests you couldened up with a situation where obama wins the

electoral vote and romney wins the popular vote similar to george bush several years ago that will set up the big debate why don't we do popular vote, why do we need the electoral college. either way, no matter what it is tight every vote wil count in the swing states. early voting numbers are pretty solid so far. >> itch you think you are tired or you are tired, i think the candidates are exhausted. >> need caffeine. >> yes they do. moving on to other news this morning. just two months after a missouri congressman, todd aiken's controversial remarks about rape and controversy, another midwest republican reignited the issue. during a political debate. indiana senate hopeful, richard murdoch said pregnancy resulting from rape is quote something god intended to happen." after the comment lit up the political blogs, murdoch explained he didn't mean god intended the rain, but that god is the only one who can create life. the democrats have pounced on the comment and tried to link murdoch to romney because romney

endorsed him. asian markets are lower after a dismal day on wall street. stoc tumbled after a series of low earning reports from dupont and xerox, ups, otherwise known as ups, world's largest package delivery company, warned the pace of growth is uneven and holiday shopping season could prove to be disappointing. the worst day since june. just a little note, investors were thinking how high can we go, how low can we go in a split second. >> couple years ago, remember the dow was at 6,500. and 13,000 was a big deal. compared to whey where we were, considerable improvements. in addition to bad earnings reports, moody's is going to downgrade, said it was going to downgrade five of spain's regions, downgrading credit look we have been through here in the u.s. global economy remains weak. you can never think here in the u.s. we are immune to what is happening in global economics. interesting. always. >> domino effect.

small new jersey town is in shock. now that two teenage brothers have been charged with murdering their 12-year-old neighbor. police say it was the boys' mother who helped them solve the horrible crime. jen maxfield of wnbc reports. ♪ >> reporter: hundred of people filled the clayton baptist church to remember autumn pasquale in song and prayer. >> she was one of the best people i ever met. caring. trusting. >> reporter: mourners embraced her parents in the sanctuary and lit candles for the seventh grader outside. >> this is a horrific tragedy that doesn't happen here. >> reporter: adding to the tragedy of autumn's death is the fact that two young men, brothers, ages 15 and 17, students at clayton high school, have been charged with her murder. police say the younger boy lured her inside the family's home on east clayton avenue so he could steal her bike and sell the parts.

>> he never stole my bike. never stole anything out of my yard. i heard they steal bikes. >> reporter: the prosecutor says the boys' mother turned her sons in. >> during the course of this investigation, the juveniles' mother contacted law enforcement, regarding postings on his facebook account. >> reporter: that tip led police to the home on east claytonch anew half a mile from where autumn was last seen. police found the 12-year-old's bodien a recycling bin. investigators removed her bike and personal belongings from the home. prayer service people who volunteered in the search for autumn were devastated by the way it ended. >> could have been anybody's daughter, grand kids, my step daughter. any bed else's family. >> reporter: friend said suspects told autumn they would fix her bike, all a views to get her in the house to steal her bike. the 12-year-old died from blunt force trauma consistent with

trang la strangulation. investigators looking into the murder of a little girl in suburban denver are warning the killer is still in the community. police believe the same person who kidnapped and killed 10-year-old jessica ridgeway earlier this month attempted to abduct a jogger in the area in may. a 22-year-old woman said a man tried to grab her from behind and put a rag over her mouth. luckily she managed to get away. >> a surfer killed by a shark off the california central coast. a friend surfing with the surfer, saw the shark attack, pulled his friend on the beach and began first aid to a massive bite on his upper body. by the time paramedics arrived, he was dead. an investigation is under way. one marine expert said the attacker was like low a great white shark. well, for as long as there have been parents, there have been teenagers, mortified by their moms and dads.

now some parents are figuring out all that embarrassing stuff they dcan be used as a punishment if they blast it to everyone their kids know. >> i like this form of punishment. >> check out a couple of the faces of the online punishments. parents say, facebook humiliation, it can go a long way when their daughter is fresh. the 21st century alternative to grounding is getting mixed reviews but leaving some moms and dads with the last laugh. >> every kid hates to be embarrassed by mom and dad. probably effective punishment. >> amen. >> not bad. >> women who say they need pills to be good moms what they're taking and why they say they can't function without them. >> first, apple reveals its latest must-have device. the ipad mini, about to hit store shelves, what is different about this new device. we will tell you when we come back on "world news now." ♪ true care true things ♪ ♪ i will take one left

you're right my best trip ♪ ♪ always i know >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by consumer cellular. ♪ watching we got a real mom and the family car to do an experiment.

we put a week of her family's smelly stuff all in at once to prove that febreze car vent clips could eliminate the odor. then we brought her family to see if it worked. tell me what you smell. something fresh. a beach. take your blindfolds off. oh! look at all this garbage! febreze car. eliminates odors for continuous freshness, so you can breathe happy. have you tried this yet?

save on febreze car and other innovative products with the october 28th p&g brandsaver. ♪ all the small things true care true things ♪ >> all right. you like small things. >> bigger is better. up less it is an ipad.

>> welcome back, everybody. well lovers of apple products have to wait until friday to preorder their new ipad mini. the new gadget unveiled yesterday. >> what was it, the "mini." >> apple wants you to know that the mini, isn't just a smaller ipad. the company says it is an entirely new design. right. abc's joel karlinsky got his hand on one. >> reporter: apple's latest big thing is small. the ipad mini, the mini-me of the ipad, the smallest tablet ever by a mile. with 100 million sold already. it certainly is small, not quite small enough to fit into a lapel pocket or back of your jeans but say it is as thin as a pencil. it has all familiar features but as light as a pad of paper, half the weight of the original ipad and about 2 inches smaller. it is small enough to use in one hand, keep in a purse or stuff into a large pocket. though it is much bigger than an

iphone. >> one handed use, easier to hold up, easier to hold on an airplane seat. >> reporter: apple founder steve jobs once scoffed at anything smaller than the original ipad as dead on arrival. but the competition proved there is a market for small devices like the kindle fire and the android business. >> i can't see them in the rearview mirror. >> just about obliterating the competition and entering a space where there is demand. >> they would have priced it lower. at $329 they will say we'll make the best for the size not for the price. >> reporter: if you are wondering who need a smaller ipad. history has shown that need has nothing to do with it when it comes to consumers gobbling up apple's latest. neal karlinsky, abc news, san jose, california. >> excellent point, neal, the need for any of that stuff.

>> iconfused the next product. >> steve jobs, is right, will it sell. >> $329, a lot higher price point than they thought. >> exactly. >> all right. >> coming up next -- a mom with mother's little helper. >> yes, a self-described mom who can't deal without some chemical assistance. her cautionary tale is all next on "world news now"

♪ there is a little yellow pill ♪ >> the stones sang about it in 1966. and parts of mother's little helper still ring true today unfortunately with some times deadly circumstances. >> scary story. the government says deaths from prescription drug abuse have quadrupled since 1999. shelly slater of our dallas

station met one mom who swears by her pills, but as she learned they do take a toll. >> reporter: heather moore juggles a lot, a 3 year owed, a 1-year-old. a full time job and husband away in the army. right after her first baby she just couldn't keep up. >> i felt like the worst mother ever. i would get up. get ready. go some where. i forgot the diaper bag. >> reporter: moore like most moms wants to give her children the best for. that she needed a change. she went on medication. >> reporter: did you go to the doctor hoping for the aderol. you knew that's what you were after. >> i told him i have heard about aderol, can i try it. she described symptoms, adhd, passed a test she is drug-free to get the diagnosis. now after years of legal use the change is drastic. >> i am on my game with my kids. >> reporter: dr. steven garrison, with care in texas, a treatment center not working

with moore, says it takes one month to get addicted to prescription pills but a lifetime of recovery. he says doctors can be too quick to write prescriptions and moms are shopping around until they get what they want. >> they learn quickly from friend who are using, share notes. compare, they find out what works. then they go ahead and use it again and again. >> reporter: concerning, drugs set a new normal. for moore, that means four hours of sleep a night. and a pill. >> i shack all tke all the time. can't sleep at night. >> reporter: is that worth it? >> yes. >> reporter: moore says her use is based on need. her street value of her pills, $10 to $15 apiece. >> a hot commodity. moms come up and say can i buy aderol off you. i love it. the way it makes me feel. i have energy. great mood all the time. i love it. rip do you think you are addicted to it, be honest?

>> yeah. yeah. i do. >> i think you see the toll on her face to be quite honest. >> moms are going to do what they can. some time at our own detriment. >> we'll be back. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, they pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and save you up to thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs. call today to request a free decision guide to help you better understand what medicare is all about. and which aarp medicare supplement plan works best for you. with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients... plus, there are no networks, and you'll never need a referral to see a specialist.

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will answer some of your questions, and help you find the aarp medicare supplement plan that's right for you. prove it. enough is enough. d-con no view, no touch trap snaps to kill instantly. no looking, no touching. d-con. get out. it's not for colds, it's not for pain, it's just for sleep.

because sleep is a beautiful thing. ♪ zzzquil, the non-habit forming sleep-aid from the makers of nyquil. finally this half-hour, an extraordinary young lady. she play s piano, violin, and most impressively already writing her own music. >> she is being called a modern genius and drawing comparisons to some of music's all time greats. abc's nick schifrin has the introduction. ♪ >> reporter: like so many child prodigies her playing is perfect, her sound is serene.

but before this 7-year-old's feet reach the floor she has already written this. ♪ an opera composed for an entire string orchestra praised by the best opera house in great britain. >> i had a dream when i was very young, it was very mysterious. >> reporter: she isn't just reading music she is writing as she goes. all improvization off the top of her head. how gifted is she? almost a year ahead of another prodigy you might recognize. mozart could play and name notes at 3. she would do that at 2. mozart was first writing at 5. alma was 4. now over the years we have seen some extraordinary children. umi garett was 8.

brianna kahane, 7, and jonathan okseniuk, conducting at just 4. all great performers, but alma is a great composer. some say she writes with the same quality as mozart when he was the same age. >> i can't think of anybody quite this young. this is really remarkable. she just lives and breathes music. >> i am writing a sonata now. it isn't finished yet. >> reporter: more than 300,000 people have discovered her on line. this young composer's melodies creating so much happiness and she is only 7. nick schifrin, abc news, london. >> was that an advertisement for a piano company. i need new get one for my kids. >> amazing. reaffirms my belief, some talent is god given. that is amazing. >> just look your talent. >> her parents are thinking of early retirement. just a thought. that's the news for this

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this morning on "world news now" -- the october bears are growling. stocks tumble on some rough corporate earnings news. now all eyes are on wall street to see if the dow will recover from one of its worst days all year. it is wednesday, october 24th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> i'm paula faris. in a moment, what is behind the rough ride on wall street. and what could be ahead in the next couple of days, and also next couple of weeks. also this half-hour, shock and grief in a small new jersey town. first, a young girl is murdered. and now police have arrested two

neighbors, teenaged brothers. the new details of how they're accused of luring her. >> how the boys' mother played a pivotal role in the case. a tragedy on every possible level in that town. man. then this morning, caffeine concerns. those hyper-caffeinated energy drinks are now under the microscope, possibly linked to several deaths. so how much is too much? and who needs to be worried? you know as we survive here on caffeine on the overnights, not necessarily the hard core stuff. but -- we have more than our fair share. >> i buy monster drinks in bulk at costco. all the time. >> do you really? monster? >> uh-huh. >> oh. >> it never makes me shaky though. like coffee does. that's why i prefer it. >> all right, paula. i hope you make it to the end of the half-hour. >> explains a couple things, right. ross and rachel and the ending that almost wasn't. eight years after "friends" a new secret about the smash hit show is finally revealed. it is all coming up in "the skinny." >> remember that finale well.

50 million people tuned into that one. so, tell you what is going on. new information coming out. we begin with the global economy and stocks falling badly overseas after a bleak earnings reports back here at home. >> japan's nikkei closed the earlier session down by 30 points. traders around the globe concerned now about losses by big name companies in the u.s. here is abc's sharyn alfonsi. >> reporter: that closing bell sounded like the end of a prize fight, but there was no winner. stocks tumbled across the board after a series of low earnings reports from some big household names. first, chemical maker dupont reported 98% drop in profit. declining sales across the world and announced it will cut 1,500 jobs. xerox reported earnings down too, 12%. consumer product giant -- 3-m scaled down future earnings projections sending the stock south. add to that unrest in spain,

european debt concerns that had been on the back burner rearing their ugly head after moody's downgraded spain's credit ratings. the market went into free fall. average 401(k) dropping nearly $1,300. investors say another round of earnings reports and a too-close-to-call election could make for a bumpy month ahead for investors. >> probably not a bad time to assess how much risk you have in the 401(k) and think of being a little more defensive heading into 2013. >> if you have the courage to look at your 401(k), notice it took a hit, $1,200 on average. but remember that the market is up for the year. most people's 401(k) is up, on average, about $9,500. not too bad. in the next days and weeks ahead there is going to be more reporting, watching for exxon mobile, at & t and boeing. hold on it could be a bumpy ride. sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. now we turn to the race for the white house, and our new poll shows candidates are remarkably close. with just 13 days to go now. our latest abc news/"washington

post" numbers put mitt romney ahead of president obama by just 1 percentage point, 49%, 48%. you see right there. it is actually even tighter than that, without rounding the numbers they're separated only by .07 of a point. and president obama is hitting the swing states, campaigning in ohio yesterday. after starting the day in florida following a final debate and today he kicks off a two-day, eight-state campaign blitz. day one will take him to iowa, colorado, california and nevada. before he spends tonight, back in the sunshine state. meanwhile, his challenger, mitt romney is crisscrossing many of the very same battleground states. he went from the debate in florida to nevada, then on to colorado yesterday. today he is set to swing right back to nevada. and then, campaign in iowa. these numbers are dizzying. obama's job approval rating is now 49% among likely voters. which is the lowest since

september, late september. even when george w. went for re-election his number never dropped below 50% among likely voters. so, to see if obama is re-elected it is going to have to go against history in the numbers statistically. >> the thing about history no republican candidate has ever won the white house without winning ohio. obama maintaining a narrowing lead in iowa. that really could prove to be pivotal. just imagine -- fast forward, november 6, you and i will be here, at our normal shift that night. they could still be counting the votes as we sit here early on the wednesday morning. that will be very interesting to watch. all that come in. but really, it seems to be right now florida, ohio, everyone is watching those two states. >> amazing it will come done to one or two states. >> few thousand votes. potentially. that's wild. >> make sure you vote, everybody. two teenage brothers are now charged with murdering a 12-year-old neighbor girl in southern new jersey. autumn pasquale's body was discovered in a recycling bin right next to where the suspects

lived with their mom. she was apparently lured into their house saturday afternoon by the younger boy and then strangled. residents of the small, close-knit community are in shock. >> she was one of the best people i have ever met. caring, trusting. >> never stole my bike. never stole anything out of my yard. but i heard that they steal bikes. >> this is a horrific tragedy that doesn't happen here. >> the suspect's mother turned her boys in. she called police after seeing some disturbing postings on one of her son's facebook page. amber alert is in effect this morning for a 10-month-old baby who vanished from a suburban philadelphia apartment where her grandmother was killed. the baby has black hair and brown eyes, she was last seen monday wearing a white dress with pink flowers. investigators are not saying how the grandmother was killed or if they have named any suspects. massachusetts health officials say they have found evidence of unclean conditions

at a frammingham farm see linked to a deadly outbreak of meningitis. among findings, black specks of fungus in steroids made by the new england compounding center. the state has conducted surprise inspections. nationwide, 300 people have been sickened. 23 have died. all had received contaminated steroid injections. >> this is disturbing too. new england compounding center shipped some orders of the drug implicated in the outbreak without waiting for the final results of sterility testing, and sometimes the record suggested the company failed to sterilize products for the minimum amount of time necessary to ensure they actually were sterile and thus safe and usable. >> glad to see they're doing some spontaneous testing. even some of the vials, recalled, black specks, fungus. inside of the vials as well. when they went in and inspected that particular facility --

and shoddy sterilization, unclean, debris covered floor vats, standing water. very unclean. >> the outbreak far from over. >> oh. >> oh. new york's famed central park, not too far from where we are right now, is getting a huge financial boost. $100 million from a hedge fund manager. the gift from queen's native john paulson is believed to be the largest ever to a public park. paulson who is now worth a reported $12 billion has fond memories of going to the park as a child. his donation will go to maintaining the park's 130 acres of woodlands. 21 playgrounds and other facilities. can you imagine picking your favorite little place and laying down $100 million check. >> got to be something named after him in central park. >> i would think so. here is your wednesday weather, everybody. a morning drizzle around new york city. new jersey, boston, coastal connecticut, showers in south florida. hail, high winds for minneapolis to kansas city.

mix of ran and snow from the dakotas to salt lake city. rain and mountain snow in the pacific northwest. >> 50s, seattle and portland. just 33 in billings. 70s in the midwest. 80s across the south. well, halloween is exactly one week away. so, 'tis the season for the living dead to strut their stuff. >> ghoulish creatures packed key west for the annual zombie bike ride. a lot of scary skeletons, white-faced friend -- fiends i should say, bloodstained cadavers, pedaling along the atlantic ocean. some chose political themes. while others were just plain old creepy. >> the "carnival of corpses" is part of a ten-day festival filled with costumes, contests and of course some street parties as well. i'm sure they had a good old-time. >> that's huh they roll in key west. >> always a good party down in key west. >> yes. >> coming up next, a rock star, a lady's man, and a guy with a really good head of hair. i knew you were going to go there. juju chang sits down with rod stewart to learn why he says he

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we talk and joke all the time around here about getting enough caffeine to survive the overnight shift. coffee, tea, soda, you get the idea. we just spent the entire commercial break talking about it. >> we did. there is now pretty big concerns about caffeine, the super-caffeinated drinks in particular. abc's senior national correspondent jim avila reports. >> reporter: everyone knows caffeine can create a body buzz, make the hands shake, hearts palpitate. in high doses like those found in energy drink monster, can it kill? the fda says it has received reports of five deaths and one heart attack, possibly linked to the energy drink. it is investigating diligently. were caused by monster >> she had no pulse. her heart was still beating. >> reporter: wendy's 14-year-old daughter anise died six days later and is one of those five deaths the fda is looking into. >> she had a 24-ounce monster, that was it. >> reporter: this picture of a too young to die teen has become

a rallying call for a crackdown on energy drinks accused of marketing their hyper caffeinated drinks to young people. senator dick durbin held it up in the senate. >> she drank two, 24-ounce monster energy drinks in less than 24 hours and it took her life. >> reporter: is it possible for caffeine to be the true killer. anise's death certificate blames cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity. and the most popular caffeine drinks you can down, monster at the top of the list. more than a starbuck's latte, more than four cokes. and the energy drinks are built to chug. they have large openings in the can. >> we have seen most of the health risks associated with the consumption of energy drinks and not necessarily coffee, and one of the reasons for that could be that coffee is consumed while it is hot and more slowly. >> reporter: here is the thing, the adult lethal level of

caffeine generally recognized by doctors is 5,000 to 10,000 milligrams. it would take 31 to 62 cans of the 16-ounce monster, drank one after another to reach that point. still, physicians warn, all of that changes with people who aren't healthy adults. such as children with underlying conditions, like high blood pressure and heart trouble as anise had. as for monster it says they have sold 8 million energy drinks and is unaware of any fatality anywhere caused by its drinks. jim avila, abc news, new york. >> right, i buy monster drinks in bulk. right on the can it says the drinks are not recommended for children or anybody who has an issue or sensitive to caffeine. so the disclaimer is right there as well. some times you don't know you may have an aversion to caffeine until it is too late. >> that story, freak you out at all, you are okay? >> i am okay. you have to take 5,000 to 10,000

milligrams of caffeine is the lethal dose. >> i was wondering, why something like monsters, as opposed to diet coke, coffee, tea. >> did you see how much caffeine is in monster, than diet coke. exponentially more. >> it's more. >> yes, i need caffeine. because abc doesn't allow me to sleep ever. >> that's true. when we come back, we will see what is shaking in "the skinny." >> yep. ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations.

♪ skinny so skinny welcome back, everybody. if there is one thing folks tend to love it is videos of celebrities falling at concerts. you have seen gaga do it. j-lo do it, beyonce do it. the latest individually to come out from the one and only madonna. at a show in dallas, jamming out to "like a prayer" and down in the fans as you can see. singing along, having a good time. everything is going well. apparently, an audience member tugs on her hand, walking to the left here. coming of in a second. kind of bites it a little bit. here it comes. oh, and the queen goes down. a consummate professional, so the show continues. she keeps singing. she was not injured or in any great danger. oh, kind of, bit it there on stage just a little bit. maybe elton john was near the stage.

who knows. the material girl took a spill. she is okay like a professional kept on going, like a virgin. >> yes, she did. >> yes, indeed. >> riveting. we should put that on the loop for when we need some entertainment. you know prince harry's little stint in vegas? >> oh, yes. >> there was one model who -- >> leaked everything. >> shortly after she leaked everything that happened in this little -- you know, tiff or whatever, in vegas, she was jailed. >> tryst. >> thank you, i'm tired. i need some monster drinks. she was jailed for a month for bouncing checks. here's what happened -- she gives the interview. the night after it is published she is then arrested for 2004 warrant for bouncing checks, eight-year-old warrant, bouncing checks, $22,000 for failed business policies years ago. she is claiming british secret service are behind all of this. all of a sudden she lands in

prison, eight years later. >> yeah, yeah. >> claims. >> embarrassed the prince. come on, knew you were messing with the royal family. not going to take that lightly. another picture of harry's snake. [ laughter ] >> we all remember the hit show "friend" eight years since it went off the air i you remember the big ending, ross, and rachel. their relationship was the central part of the show for ten years. in the end they got together. the creator of the show, david crane, gave an interview, box set on the show. actually the writers of the show had considered leaving the ending open-ended. kind of leaving folks guessing. we thought about vague, they're not together but hope for the future. then we were like screw that, people have waited for ten years for this. let's give them what they want and do it really well. they thought getting them together at the end was so, expected and cliche they were going to take a different route. ultimately gave the fans what they wanted ross and rachel together forever with daughter emma.

>> could you have imagined it any other way? >> you complain about it. everybody likes a sappy ending. come on. we want to see ross and rachel get together. >> we're all chicks inside, right? >> still love you, rachel. still love you. inside, right? >> still love you, rachel. still love you. i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it helps pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you thousands in out-of-pocket costs. to me, relationships matter. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him.

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♪ if you want my body and you think i'm sexy come on sugar let me know ♪ >> i'm into it. >> i like it. >> rod nelson. >> rob stewart. >> well, rod stewart brings this half-hour to a close, he has a new autobiography out with plenty of tidbits about a life very well lived. >> oh, yes. >> yes, one of his albums called "never a dull moment," as abc's juju chang found out that's the case all these years later. ♪ young hearts be free tonight >> reporter: rod stewart is no longer a young turk but still sells out shows with his raspy voice just like back in the

'80s. the late '70s was disco, who could forget "do you think i'm ♪ if you want my body and you think i'm sexy come on sugar let me know ♪ >> reporter: it is rod as crooner that made him one of the best selling musicians of all times. he pursued lady obsessively too, romancing some of the most beautiful women in the world including bond girls and cover girls. what made you so attractive to so many of the most beautiful women in the world? >> well it beats me to this day i must admit. maybe it's because rock 'n' roll is so connected to sex and also -- it's a position of power i suppose. >> reporter: a position he took full advantage of on multiple occasions. likehen he seduced a hollywood starlet while dating a supermodel. he comes clean about his obsessive skirt chasing in his intimate new memoir "rod the

autobiography." >> none of us have lived a perfect life. there is always going to be points where you have to confess and own up. otherwise it would be like any book that has been written about me, you know, by strangers. >> reporter: now at 67, rod says he is a changed man. having raised grown kids, he has married for the third time to former model penny lancaster. family has always been one of rod's biggest obsessions. his youngest two boys are keeping him on his toes. >> reporter: you're having babies again. you're writing songs again. >> i'm a lucky guy that's for sure. >> reporter: i'm juju chang in beverly hills. >> further proof, women always love the rock star. just a fact of life. >> like the athlete. i personally -- >> oh. >> actually. >> look at y'all. >> we had a little thing, you know, back in the day. >> rod had a little thing? what are you trying to say? rod stewart. [ laughter ] ♪ tell me so >> announcer: this is abc's

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